Marriage can prevent basic pension - what couples need to know
Created: 01/12/2023, 11:40 am
By: Robin Dittrich
The basic pension is intended to help millions of pensioners.
However, marriage can prevent the basic pension from being received.
Hamburg – The basic pension is intended to support consumers in Germany who have worked for over 35 years but have earned little.
According to the federal government, around 1.3 million pensioners should benefit from the basic pension.
Marriage can prevent the basic pension - what pensioners should pay attention to.
Pensioner: | A person who is no longer or mostly no longer employed and earns his living from a pension |
Pension: | Statutory or private insurance benefit |
Demarcation of private individuals: | Living off their savings |
Delimitation pensioner: | Receive a pension instead of a pension, i.e. a mostly state pension benefit that is not based on previously paid contributions, but on service-related pension entitlements |
How marriage can prevent the basic pension
The basic pension can be obtained by anyone who has at least 35 years of basic pension records.
A minimum income limit must be reached.
Around 1079 euros gross must have been earned monthly over the entire decisive period - as of 2023. There is no surcharge if an average of more than 2876 euros gross was earned.
The basic pension is also not paid at all or only partially if pensioners earn something with a job.
1.3 million pensioners are entitled to a basic pension – but marriage can prevent this.
© Emma Innocenti/Imago (symbol image)
Anyone earning an additional EUR 1,250 in addition to their pension as a single person does not receive a basic pension.
For married couples, this value is 1950 euros.
This income allowance includes salary, pension and rental income.
60 percent of the income above the tax-free allowance is offset against the basic pension.
If you earn more than 1600 as a single person or more than 2300 when you are married, 100 percent of your income will be taken into account.
These contributions count towards basic pension periods:
Compulsory contributions from employment or self-employment
Compulsory contribution times for child rearing and care
Period of sickness or rehabilitation benefits
Times due to child rearing and care
Married couples should therefore make sure that their joint income does not exceed this income allowance - at least if they want to receive a basic pension.
If couples live together but are not married, the income is calculated for each individual.
It is therefore irrelevant for the basic pension how much the partner earns.
However, if the couple marries, the spouses are considered together.
The income allowance is not twice as high as for single people - the basic pension could be prevented as a result.
Increase income with the basic pension – that’s how it still works
According to estimates by the German pension insurance, the basic pension is only an average of 75 euros per month.
However, up to 419 euros should be possible in individual cases.
The basic pension should be given to consumers in Germany who were insured through the pension fund for many years but did not have a high income.
This is often the case when children have been brought up or relatives have been cared for.
In many cases, however, the old-age pension is then increased.
If a relative was cared for at home, this increases the pension.
also read
The obligation to replace stoves will take effect from 2025 – these exceptions apply
TO READ
Poor people photographed Rewe snack shelf: "I left the car, won't buy here anymore"
TO READ
GEZ: Post service checks payers of broadcasting fees - millions of consumers are now receiving mail
TO READ
Exemption from the GEZ: when pensioners do not have to pay broadcasting fees
TO READ
Which trees and shrubs you should definitely cut back in January
TO READ
Fancy a voyage of discovery?
My space
24hamburg.de newsletter
In the 24hamburg.de newsletter, our editors put together content from Hamburg, Northern Germany and HSV.
Every day at 8:30 a.m., six current articles land in your e-mail inbox - registration is free of charge, you can unsubscribe easily with a click at the end of each sent newsletter issue.
If a former spouse dies, a child-raising pension can be applied for to compensate for missing maintenance payments.
In addition, retirees can apply for a variety of grants.
Among other things, there is a subsidy for health insurance.
The basic pension can also be received by people in Germany who cannot show 35 years of basic pension periods.
If you are at least 33 years old, you will receive a small top-up.
This increases continuously in the months leading up to the basic pension.
